“From the beginning, the Creator of Angels chose you to magnify with your life the wondrous name of the Holy Trinity: for truly you appeared as an angel on earth and Seraphim in the flesh; like a radiant beam of the Eternal Sun of Righteousness, your life became enlightened”
(Kontakion 1 of the Akathist to St. Seraphim of Sarov).
A great God’s servant and prayerful intercessor of the Russian land, the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov lived to the glory of God and continues to shine upon us through the centuries with everlasting brilliance. He is among those ascetics whose unrelenting spiritual fervour towards God inspired many devout souls to strive for spiritual perfection. The fire of love within the venerable saint did not burn or scorch but rather warmed and comforted, kindling joy in desolate and sorrowful hearts with the gladness of the Lord. His life, and above all his experience of Divine light, was a revelation of God to a world caught in darkness. Though universal in his boundless love, he was especially close to the poor, the broken-hearted, and the suffering.
One of the spiritual gifts of the venerable father was his ability to connect with little children. Once, after meeting him, a child remarked, “Seraphim only looks old, but truly he is a child like us.” According to his life story, the elder sometimes grew weary of the people and would hide from them in tall grass: “He’s run away again!” But wise individuals, knowing how to find him, would send children. The children would run through the forest, calling for the saint, and he, unable to resist them, would emerge from the grass. He surrendered to love.
Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov) wrote about him, “The Father made such a charming and, at times, overwhelming impression on everyone that people would leave him in ecstasy, some even in tears, yet almost all were comforted, encouraged, joyous, and at peace as if he had infused each one of them with vitality, bright joy, spiritual uplift, strength in goodness, and a desire for correction. To put it briefly: the fervent Seraphim ignited people with the fire and grace of spiritual rebirth (cf. Luke 3:16). That is difficult for us to imagine; only through stories and extraordinary beneficial outcomes can we surmise and see the extraordinary strength that was hidden and at work in the ‘poor’ and stooped elder! He especially knew how to cheer and greet visitors, and a meeting with him was a true celebration for them! People would leave him as if on wings! Or conversely: extraordinarily focused, rebuked, but at the same time, with a determination to fight against evil.”
The saint used to say, “The Spirit of God brings joy to everything He touches.” According to the life of the Venerable Seraphim, when he felt joyous, he would sometimes clap his hands. Standing in the kliros, noticing that the brethren were growing weary or disheartened, he would lift their spirits with cheerful words and encouragement: “We cannot afford to be downcast!” Father Seraphim became the Russian Sun for thousands: “My joy, Christ is risen!” were the welcoming words with which the elder greeted the people.
Another significant aspect of the Venerable Seraphim was his awareness of communion with the saints, particularly his closeness with the Theotokos. He stands as a testament to the unity of the Church. The Venerable confirms the truth that none of us are saved in isolation. Salvation can only be found through communion with the entire Body of Christ. This makes Saint Seraphim all-encompassing in his outreach to everyone. He is simultaneously local, deeply rooted in his Russian land, and at the same time — universal, pan-Orthodox.
Icon of Seraphim of Sarov
The Venerable Seraphim, with his profound proactive love for God and people, touches hearts, resonating like a tuning fork to the music of heaven. Struck by his spiritual beauty, inspired by Seraphim’s love, other zealous souls became inflamed with the desire to serve God wholeheartedly. The Venerable Seraphim became a beacon, a lamp, and a helper for them. Among those bearing his name and glorified by the Church in the ranks of the saints are the Holy Martyr Seraphim (Chichagov), Seraphim (Zvezdinsky), Seraphim (Ostroumov), Saint Seraphim (Sobolev), Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsa, and Seraphim (Romantsov). In honour of the Venerable Seraphim, the now glorified Metropolitan Zinoviy (Mazuga) was tonsured into the Great Schema.
Hieromartyr Seraphim (born Leonid Chichagov) participated in the Russo-Turkish war in the Balkans, distinguishing himself with exceptional courage and earning numerous military honours. Upon his return to St. Petersburg in 1878, Leonid encountered the righteous John of Kronstadt, who greatly influenced his decision to dedicate his life to serving God. On 26 February 1893, Leonid Chichagov was ordained as a priest at the Synodal Church of the Twelve Apostles in the capital. He later made a pilgrimage to Diveyevo, where he met one of the three ascetics who remembered the elder Seraphim — Pelageya Ivanovna. She conveyed to him, “It is good that you have come. I have been waiting for you for a long time: the Venerable Seraphim instructed me to tell you to inform the Tsar that the time has come to uncover and glorify his relics.”* Despite his initial bewilderment, Father Leonid embraced her words and acted on them. Shortly after, he commenced work on the “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery,” a considerable part of which was dedicated to the Venerable Seraphim. Father Leonid could scarcely imagine the “reward” that awaited him for his labour.
The “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery” was finally completed. An imposing folder was resting on the desk, ready for the Holy Synod’s review. As the door slightly opened, Father Seraphim entered the room. To Father Leonid, he appeared as if alive, bowing deeply to him and saying, “Thank you for the chronicle. Ask me anything for it.” Overwhelmed with joy, Father Leonid could only respond, “Father, dearest, I am so jubilant now that all I wish is to always be near you.” Father Seraphim smiled and then vanished from sight.
Members of the Russian royal family accompanied by the future Hieromartyr Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov) at Sarov Monastery, 1903.
The first edition of the “Chronicle” was published in 1896. By then, Father Leonid had become a widower and contemplated the monastic life. In August 1898, the future Hieromartyr took monastic tonsure as Seraphim. Sometime later, Father Seraphim (Chichagov) met Tsar Nicholas II and, during their meeting, he presented the Tsar with his book. In 1902, Nicholas II decreed that the arrangement for Seraphim of Sarov’s glorification should begin. Subsequently, the Holy Synod entrusted this significant task to Father Seraphim, who had by then become an archimandrite. Beyond contributing to the organisation of the glorification, Archimandrite Seraphim authored an akathist to the saint, composed his brief hagiography, and published the second edition of the “Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery.” This publication played a crucial role in the Sarov Miracle Worker’s canonisation.
Years of episcopal service ensued in Sukhumi, Orel, Kishinev, Tver, and Petrograd. Amidst his many responsibilities, Bishop Seraphim still found time to engage in icon painting.
An icon painted by Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov)
The earthly journey of Metropolitan Seraphim concluded with a crown of martyrdom. In 1937, the 80-year-old elder was accused of “instigating a counter-revolutionary conspiracy” and sentenced to execution. Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) suffered on 11 December 1937. On 23 February 1997, the Russian Orthodox Church glorified him among the saints.
Hieromartyr Seraphim (Zvezdinsky), baptised as Nikolai, was born on 7 April 1883. At the age of sixteen, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. In his third year of study, Nikolai Zvezdinsky unexpectedly fell ill with lymphadenitis, a purulent inflammation of the glands considered incurable at that time. The surgery posed a fatal risk. During this critical period, Abbot Ierofei (Melentyev) from the Sarov Hermitage visited and gifted the family an icon of Seraphim of Sarov, who was not yet canonised. Nikolai placed this icon on his afflicted side overnight, and by morning, the household witnessed an extraordinary miracle — the abscess had burst naturally. Gradually, Nikolai began to recover. Esteemed physicians documented this miraculous healing, and a testimonial was sent to the Sarov Hermitage.
Shortly after, Nikolai’s father, a priest, was instructed by the Holy Synod to compose a service to the venerable saint on account of his glorification. He completed this in gratitude to Seraphim and attended his canonisation in Sarov in 1903. For composing the service for the newly glorified saint, he was awarded by the Tsar with a pectoral cross adorned with diamonds and an icon inscribed with a dedicatory signature.
On 26 September 1907, Nikolai Zvezdinsky took monastic vows, receiving the name Seraphim in honour of his beloved saint.
Father Seraphim was consecrated as a bishop by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. As a bishop, he was not only compassionate but also a wise shepherd of his flock, adept at balancing firmness and mercy. Amidst the societal upheaval and the erosion of truth, he guided his people towards righteousness and justice. He was a profound spiritual father, possessing a gift for confession so powerful that even the most unrepentant sinners and wrongdoers would open their hearts to him. Saint Seraphim had a special spiritual discernment; his sermons were vivid, eloquent, and convincing, consistently resonating with his listeners’ hearts. To this day, his words continue to lead souls to Christ.
Hieromartyr Seraphim (Zvezdinsky), fresco
Bishop Seraphim was arrested six times and faced investigation on three occasions. During his imprisonment, the revered hierarch composed several worship texts, including an Akathist to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Thorns and the Cross; an Akathist to Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Saviour of Sinners, Sweetest, amidst the bitterest trials and passions; and a Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, sung in moments of utter despair. Though his health was frail, he was continually forced to move from one place of exile to another under any condition. Occasionally, Bishop Seraphim found himself in extremely dire circumstances, often deprived of any medical assistance. Multiple times, it seemed as though he would not survive the night, but the Lord extended his life until his final martyrdom.
On 26 August 1937, in Omsk, Bishop Seraphim was executed by firing squad. In 2000, the Jubilee Hierarchal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church canonised Bishop Seraphim (Zvezdinsky) as a holy martyr.
The Elder of Vyritsa, a comforter to the grieving, an advocate for orphans and the afflicted, and a steadfast intercessor for Russia, desired to receive the Great Schema before he became an elder. At his tonsure, he was renamed Seraphim in honour of the venerable Seraphim of Sarov, whose life he strove with all his might to model. Often, those whose paths had been transformed by the elder’s counsel would come with heartfelt tears to thank him. To these, the humble schema monk would gently reply, “Why thank me? Give your gratitude to the venerable Seraphim — it is through his prayers that the Heavenly Doctor brings healing to our infirmities.”
Like his celestial guide, the elder of Vyritsa undertook an intense spiritual struggle: he prayed on a stone in his garden before the icon of the Wonderworker of Sarov. The earliest records of Saint Seraphim of Vyritsa’s prayer on the stone date back to 1935, when the Church faced renewed and severe persecution. With the onset of the war, the elder intensified his ascetic endeavour, praying daily on the stone. How many souls these prayers saved is known only to God. One thing remained undeniable — their unseen thread connected earth to heaven and inclined God to mercy. The saint himself stood as a great miracle and testimony that the Lord had not abandoned His people, and even in the darkest times, the words of Christ remained unchanging: “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Saint Seraphim of Vyritsa departed for eternal rest on 3 April 1949. In the year 2000, he was glorified by the Church.
“The Lord is near; if you call upon Him, He will answer immediately.” These profound words belong to Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev), a remarkable hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church for whom intimate communion with God was the supreme purpose and centre of his existence.
Archbishop Seraphim, born Nikolai Borisovich Sobolev, came into the world on 14 December 1881 in Ryazan. Upon completing his education at the Ryazan Theological Seminary, he progressed to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. His desire for the monastic life emerged during his seminary years. However, at the academy, Nikolai grappled with the challenging question: could he endure the rigorous path of monastic asceticism?
In 1905, a friend of Nikolai made a pilgrimage to the Sarov Monastery to venerate Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Knowing Nikolai’s deep reverence for this saint, his friend brought back a small icon of Saint Seraphim. Nikolai decided to seek guidance from Saint Seraphim concerning his future. He randomly opened the saint’s hagiography after requesting an answer. The passage he read spoke of an incident where Saint Seraphim blessed a novice from the Glinsk Hermitage, who was tonsured with the name Paisios and later became the abbot of the Churkinsk Hermitage in Astrakhan. “The Angel of the Lord will constantly be with you until the end of your life,” said Saint Seraphim to the future archimandrite. These words profoundly moved Nikolai, dispelling his uncertainties about his future path. On 8 February 1908, while still a fourth-year student at the academy, Nikolai Sobolev was tonsured as a monk.
Bishop Sergius (Tikhomirov), who was the rector of the academy at that time, recalled on the eve of Nikolai’s tonsure that he had promised Saint Seraphim of Sarov during the unveiling of the saint’s relics to name the first academy student he tonsured with the saint’s name. When Nikolai heard his new name during the tonsure, he was astonished and filled with immense love and gratitude towards Saint Seraphim: “He not only revealed to me the will of God to become a monk but also took me under his gracious guidance.” The subsequent years saw Father Seraphim dedicated to the ministry of spiritual education. He taught at the Pastoral School in Zhytomyr, the Kaluga Theological School, and the Kostroma Theological Seminary. Ultimately, he was elevated to archimandrite and appointed rector of the Voronezh Theological Seminary. During this period, Father Seraphim maintained close relationships with the Optina Elders, one of whom, Venerable Anatoly (Potapov), became his spiritual father.
Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) and the city of Sofia
In 1920, Father Seraphim received the honour of being consecrated a bishop. By August 1921, Bishop Seraphim was entrusted with overseeing the Russian parishes in Bulgaria. Despite enduring severe material hardships, he devoted himself to caring for impoverished and ailing Russians, arranging free admittance to hospitals and homes for the disabled, interceding for financial assistance on their behalf, and personally sustaining them in his monastery. His flock also witnessed the transformative power of his prayers, which sometimes brought even the gravely ill back to life.
The saint became renowned not only for the potency of his intercessions but also for his tireless efforts in defending Orthodoxy. According to the testimony of Archimandrite Alexander (Petranov), Archbishop Seraphim foretold his departure to the heavenly mansions. The holy shepherd passed away on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, 26 February 1950. On 3 February 2016, Bishop Seraphim was canonised for veneration across the entire Church by the act of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“Christ is manifest in a holy person. People witness the radiance of Christ’s light on his face, the glow of eternal life. It is this very light that compels people to seek Christ — for though they have not encountered Him face-to-face, they have seen those in whom the light of Christ shines brightly. The Lord blesses all — those who have grown to the stature of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and those who are still growing. This is also our calling — to go forth, and following in the footsteps of our saints, to bear witness to His Resurrection.”
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*At the time, it was necessary to present the case for canonisation directly to the Emperor.
This article was prepared by the editorial team of obitel-minsk.ru.
Photographs sourced from the internet.
Materials used in the preparation:
